Plans to convert a former Pembrokeshire town centre social club into council owned social housing have been given the go-ahead.

In an application to Pembrokeshire County Council, the authority itself, through agent KEW Planning, sought a change of use of the former Manchester Club social club, Fulke Street, Milford Haven to seven social rented residential units.

The Manchester Club public house/social club closed in March 2024 due to the cost of operations rising to be more than the monetary value that the club delivered, remaining vacant since this time, and was marketed for sale before an offer from the council was accepted.

The council scheme will provide five one-bed flats, one two-bed, and one studio flat; an amended scheme from discarded initial options which included one for 12 apartments and two studio flats. The scheme revised to restrict proposed alterations to the existing building to a minimum.

The proposal includes the demolition of the single storey garage to the front, and a single-storey extension at the rear, which will allow a communal amenity area.

A supporting statement said: “The vision for this project is to provide social housing to address housing stock shortages and to give a new life to a vacant building in a central location of the town. The property will be rented to mixed aged tenants, with PCC as the corporate landlord.”

An officer report recommending approval said the site had been marketed since 2024 at £170,000, with a £150,000 offer made but was unable to be proceeded with, the price later reduced to £150,000, three offers later received including £140,000 from the council, which was accepted in April 2025.

“For the two years that this property has been marketed the market response to the property has been limited with no viable interest in retaining the building for its existing community facility use,” the report said.

It concluded: “The loss of the former community facility has been robustly justified in accordance [with planning policy], and the scheme would deliver social and economic benefits through the provision of additional housing and the re-use of a vacant building.

“The proposal would enhance the visual appearance of the site, provide an acceptable standard of residential amenity for future occupiers without undue harm to neighbouring properties, and would not give rise to unacceptable impacts in respect of highway safety, drainage, biodiversity or the historic environment.”

The application was conditionally approved.

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